


Laundry Day

by MegaWallflower



Category: Naruto
Genre: Babysitting, Cute Kids, Gen, Hatake Kakashi is a Troll, Laundry, Random & Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 16:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20177278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaWallflower/pseuds/MegaWallflower
Summary: Metal Lee and Kakashi do some laundry together.





	Laundry Day

“Kashi-seisei!” Chubby arms wrapped around the waist of the former hokage, a full-body tackle with his assailant’s full weight thrown into it.

Kakashi pretended to stumble forward and grunted. “Augh—I’m under attack. Where are my ANBU guards? Is this the end? Is that a rogue ninja?”

Metal giggled, letting go and running in front of Kakashi. His little toothy grin looked so proud. “No, you’re not! It’s me!”

“Oh, a tiny Lee? No, Guy…?!” Kakashi returned the freshly clean jumpsuit to free his hands to lift up the little boy. He gently shook him back and forth, feigning distress. “How did you get so short, Guy?! What happened to you?”

Metal turned into a giggling mess. “Nooo, I’m not Papa or Gaipapa, I’m meeee! Metal Lee!”

“Oh! Metal Lee!” He dramatically sighed in relief. “Thank goodness! I thought my husband had turned into something tiny! You’re as strong as him, so I got confused!” Kakashi put him back down, squatting down to look him in the eyes.

Metal puffed out his chest with pride and big, sparkling eyes. “Gaipapa says I’m strong too!”

“Does he?” He gave Metal his warmest smile. “Okay, so if that’s who you are, do you remember who I am?”

Metal’s pride swelled and he nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! You’re… Kak…kaksi. Seisei.” Metal tested the name, happy with how it rolled easily off his tongue. “Right?”

Could his grin get any wider?

Kakashi would let it slide for now. It was his fault for having a name harder than “Guy,” he supposed. Maybe he would just have to change his name to that officially to spare the kid of any heartbreak.

“So watcha doing, Kakaksi-seisei?”

Kakashi gestured at the basket full of clothes beside him. “Today’s mission is laundry.”

Metal picked up the green jumpsuit that Kakashi had set down. “Papa’s…?”

“No, that one’s Guy’s. My beast, not your beast.”

“Huuuh…” Metal messily folded it over and set it down on top of the pile.

“Hm? Are you going to help me out?”

The vibrant child shot him another wide grin, nodding his head vigorously and grabbing another shirt from the basket. “Yeah! It’sa mission! From the ‘okage!”

Kakashi picked up a slightly damp bedsheet. “You’re the captain for this mission, then. I’ll be counting on you, kid.” Standing back up, Kakashi lifted the sheet high and brought it down quickly in a ripple to shake the water out of it. The deafening sound of fabric waving forcefully rang out loud and clear, reverberating sharply like a _bang_.

Metal jolted in shock, jumping up and wrapping his arms around Kakashi’s leg fearfully.

“Hm?” Kakashi looked down at the boy, gently shaking him off his leg. “Something wrong?”

Metal stammered, hurriedly and messily folding the top clothes from the basket. “N-no, not really…”

Kakashi raised and brought down the sheet again, sending another sharp bang reverberating through the air. Metal visibly stiffened in shock. “You sure nothing’s wrong, Metal?”

“—Shhh!”

Kakashi blinked up at him with a confused stare. He was shushed, though, and Guy and Lee had both agreed that, officially, _Metal was babysitting Kakashi_, so he obediently shut his mouth.

“I heard… a jutsu ‘splosion!”

A beat of silence passed between them.

Metal was dead serious.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his own neck idly. “…Uh? Are you sure you haven’t just been listening to too many of Guy’s war stories? You’re way too on-edge.” For a kid that’s grown up in an era of unprecedented peace, at least.

“It’s true!” Metal insisted, grabbing a large towel and draping it over his own head. “Hide, Kakakseisei!” Metal darted back inside as fast as his little legs could carry him and dove behind the couch.

Kakashi was left alone with the laundry and the wind. Listening to the quiet beat of the wet sheet against the wind, the pieces of the puzzle slowly came together. A hint of mischief stole across his dark eyes, and they crinkled in a smile. Guy would probably kill him for this later, but there was no harm in having a little fun. Besides, he was supposed to play along with a child’s wild imagination, it was good encouragement, or something like that.

Kakashi rose the sheet again and brought it down with a harsh snap, creating a more deliberate, louder bang. “Augh—” he grunted and collapsed to his knees dramatically.

Instantly, there was the sound of little footsteps running back to him.

“Kasekashee!” Metal shouted.

Kakashi was started to wonder if this was on purpose. Guy talked about Kakashi all the time, there was no way this kid didn’t hear his name a dozen times a day. He didn’t drop the theatrics yet, though. “Metal… Be careful…” A wounded cough. “It’s dangerous out here…”

“Ka…” His small hands gripped Kakashi’s shirt, a sob ripping from his throat as he burrowed his face into the jonin’s chest. “Kaksen…! No!”

Kakashi had to sigh, just slightly, before letting out a bit of a chuckle. “Metal, it’s fine. It was just—"

“—I’ll protect you, Kakasei!” Metal suddenly declared, jumping back to his feet. He pulled the towel from his head and instead wrapped it around his shoulders like a cloak. Was he trying to imitate Kakashi’s old hokage cloak? “Gai loves you…! Papa loves you…! And I love you too! So…! I won’t let anyone hurt you!!”

A serious, tearful declaration. This was definitely Guy’s grandson, blood or not. Kakashi was almost starting to feel bad. “Uh... no, listen, Metal, the sound was just…”

“—Don’t be scared! It’ll all be okay! Because!” Still nervous and shaking, Metal pulled off the towel and held it in his hands again, this time brandishing it as some sort of weapon or shield. “This cape will bounce back everything!”

In the small figure, trembling and valiant, determined to protect and to prove himself, Kakashi could practically see his old rival again, tiny and resolute and a little bit dumb and in over his head. It was strangely adorable.

Making sure to stay out of Metal’s line of sight, Kakashi picked up a small sheet and tentatively snapped it through the air.

Metal tensed up, but bravely lifted his towel and swung it to smack away whatever jutsu he imagined was attacking them, creating a much louder bang of his own. He made himself jump with shock with that one.

He cracked open an eye and looked around curiously. Slowly, a proud smile reappeared on his face and he puffed out his chest. “I…I bounced it back…?! I did it! Kakkakseisei, I—”

He was cut off, half by Kakashi’s chuckling, and half by the sound of Metal turning around and catching wind in his sheet again, sending out another loud clap of air. Metal looked from his sheet to Kakashi and back again several times, and Kakashi could practically see the lightbulb appear above him when Metal balled his fist and hit it into the palm of his hand, finally putting two and two together.

Kakashi’s fit of laughter helped Metal feel more at ease about the mistake now that he realized it, and it gave him a moment to sheepishly smile and laugh along. “Kakashi-seisei!” Metal squeaked, balling up the towel and throwing it at Kakashi’s head. “You liar!”

“I didn’t lie!” Kakashi tried weakly to defend himself. “All I said was that it was dangerous outside, I never said there was a jutsu to bounce back!”

Metal rubbed his streaming tears away, a hiccup or two leaving him as the boy focused on calming down. Then, he turned his dark eyes to Kakashi, back straightening as he spoke. “I—I knew that too!! I’m smart!”

Kakashi just laughed and ruffled Metal’s hair.


End file.
